Walmart offers a limited warranty on all new in-house car batteries, that means ValuePower, EverstartPlus, and EverstartMaxx batteries.
The following are the limited warranties and current prices.
- ValuePower(585 cca)- 1 year for $49.88
- EverStartPlus (650 cca)- 2 year for $74.88
- EverstartMaxx (750 cca)- 5 year (3 years free replacement then 2 years pro-rated) for $93.76
*a note on cold-cranking amps, a new 2019 Honda Civic OEM Battery is rated at 500 cca so even a ValuePower battery is enough for most car needs. Check your car manual or your stock battery for how much cold cranking amps you really need.
How does the ValuePower and EverstartPlus limited warranty work?
If your ValuePower or EverStartPlus battery one day no longer works and it’s within your one or two year warranty period, simply bring it to your local WalMart and they will test the battery.
If their machine determines they can charge the battery for you, the battery is NOT defective and they will recharge your battery for free.
If their machine determines that your battery can no longer hold a charge, they will replace your battery with the same battery that you purchased (or one of equal value.)
How does the EverStart Maxx limited warranty work with a prorated plan?
If it’s less than three years since you bought your battery,Walmart’s Automotive center tests it and determines it’s dead, they will give you a new one for free.
If it’s greater than three years but less than five years, and they test your battery and find it’s dead, Walmart will prorate you the remaining months left on your warranty and apply the discount towards the purchase of a new battery.
Proratingyour discountis determined as follows.
(Percentage of months remaining) x (Current retail price of a new battery)
For example, my Everstart Maxx battery is 42 months old (3 and a half years old), is no longer eligible for a free replacement, is tested dead but I need a new battery. According to my warranty, I have 18 months left or 30 percent remaining. If a new battery is still $93.76 I get a $28.13 discount off that new battery price.
Does the new battery I get as a replacement come with its own new warranty, effectively restarting a warranty?
Short answer, no. The original warranty from your original battery purchase is STILL in effect.
Take the previous example above. If you bought a new battery with a pro-rated discount, totaling $65.13, and for some reason this battery tests dead 18 months and one day later, you DO NOT get a replacement battery because the original warranty of five years is what counts, is now expired, and you have no warranty claim.
The only time you get a new car battery warranty is when you pay full price.
According to Johnson Controls, the maker of all Wal-Mart batteries by the way,
“One thing many folks don’t realize when they purchase a battery, is that the warranty coverage doesn’t re-set with each warranty replacement. That means if you bought a battery with a three-year free replacement warranty on January 1, 2014, that warranty coverage ends on January 1, 2017, no matter how many times your battery was replaced under warranty during that period. Re-setting a warranty with each replacement would essentially result in a lifetime warranty and the last company we heard of, who offered such coverage on batteries they sold is no longer in business.”
Where can I read the full text of the terms and conditions for Walmart Car Battery Limited Warranties?
Thanks to a Reddit thread I found, you can read the full Everstart Automotive Battery Limited Warranty text
You can also assume the same terms and conditions apply for ValuePower batteries, too. I’d post it here but this post is already getting too long.
Do I need an original purchase receipt to redeem my limited warranty?
No, not necessarily. If you don’t have the receipt, there’s usually a punch-out date on the battery itself that a WalMart can reference. If you return to the original store you purchased it at or any store for that matter, they might be able to bring up a proof of purchase in their system.
WalMart car batteries offer some of the best bang for your buck and are a great choice if you need a new car battery. And, with WalMarts literally scattered throughout the United States, if you need to replace one via warranty work, you don’t have to look too hard.
What do you think of Walmart’s ValuePower or EverStart Car batteries? Do you think they’re a good deal? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below?
